Q: We are a bridge and structural steel manufacturing shop that uses a mixture of common base materials such as A36, A572, and A992. Recently we’ve been experiencing sporadic centerline cracks in the root passes of fabricated I-beams that we weld with flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). Oddly enough,...

Q: We manufacture structures for the utility industry and primarily weld A36, A572-Gr. 50 and A871-Gr. 65. Recently we converted some of our welding processes to higher-deposition submerged-arc welding (SAW) but are concerned about the amount of heat we are adding from welding. What is the...

Q: We're a midsize job shop that manufactures a wide variety of products from various types of metal. Currently we have a project that requires welding 304L to 316L stainless steel and welding both of these alloys to A572 Grade 50 steel. Some of the welds are structural and some are used in...

Q: Our company manufactures the main structures used to build fitness equipment. These structures are mild steel tubing of various shapes and sizes and in relatively thin material, typically 10 to 16 gauge. We are using 90 percent argon/10 percent CO2 shielding gas with a 0.035-in.-dia. ER70S-3...

Q: Our shop manufactures bridge and structural steel components. Most of the material is A36 or A572 and welded with E70X-X class electrodes using FCAW with 75 percent Ar/25 percent CO2 shielding gas (bottle-supplied) and SAW. We're having issues with porosity in our SAW process. We find that once...

Q: We manufacture hydraulic cylinders. Ever since we changed our shielding gas blend, we’ve noticed a higher level of distortion. Before the change we used a 95/5 blend, but now we use 92/8, which we have documented using a 0.045-in.-dia. filler metal. Would the 92/8 blend run hotter and cause...

Q: Our company manufactures cylindrical structures, including tanks and smokestacks made from A36 or A572 material. The material is burned to size on a plasma table and mechanically beveled. Process limitations cause gaps in the joints during fit-up. We use a 0.045-in.-dia. solid wire with a 75...

The Fabricator Blog

The college track passes right by manufacturing - by Dan Davis

As educators push for their students toward a college-prep curriculum, students are missing out on possible vocational training opportunities and the manufacturing industry is missing out on young talent.